Socioeconomic Inequalities in Mortality in Sweden and New Zealand
Author Information
Author(s): Sarah Wamala, Tony Blakely, June Atkinson
Primary Institution: Swedish National Institute of Public Health and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine, New Zealand
Hypothesis
Trends in socioeconomic differentials by mortality might be more favorable in Sweden compared to New Zealand.
Conclusion
Trends in socioeconomic inequalities in mortality were clearly most favorable for men in Sweden.
Supporting Evidence
- Men's absolute inequalities by education decreased by 66% in Sweden and by 17% in New Zealand.
- Women's absolute inequalities by education decreased by 19% in Sweden and by 8% in New Zealand.
- Men's absolute inequalities by income decreased by 51% in Sweden but increased by 16% in New Zealand.
- Women's absolute inequalities by income increased by 12% in Sweden and by 21% in New Zealand.
Takeaway
This study looked at how rich and poor people in Sweden and New Zealand lived and died over 20 years. It found that men in Sweden had better health outcomes compared to men in New Zealand.
Methodology
The study analyzed mortality data from the New Zealand Census Mortality Study and the Swedish Survey of Living Conditions, focusing on individuals aged 25-77 years.
Potential Biases
Income data sources varied between the two countries, potentially affecting the observed inequalities.
Limitations
The New Zealand database was larger than that of Sweden, which may affect the comparability of results.
Participant Demographics
The study included over 2 million individuals from New Zealand and over 100,000 individuals from Sweden, aged 25-77 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01 for education trends in Sweden, p=0.03 for women's education trends in Sweden, p=0.53 for women's education trends in New Zealand.
Confidence Interval
95% CI for Swedish women's mortality rates ranged from 94 to 526.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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